Hi, Everyone! I just joined this group today, and I hope to learn from each of you. Let me tell you about my baby. RikRak is a border collie/blue heeler. He turned 7 years old on New Year’s Day! In February he had an accident that broke his elbow on his front left leg. Surgery was performed the night of the accident and the next day the vet realized RikRak suffered nerve damage in both front legs. We brought him home and treated the broken bone daily. Instead of better, it continued to get worse and worse. I took him back to the doctor and requested we amputate the leg. My vet was against it because he didn’t think Rik would be able to function at all. I told him there is no way that I am ready to let him go. So our doctor consented, although against his own better judgment, and the leg was removed. Now that that poison was gone RikRak felt like living again. I knew that he would!!! He is now taking physical therapy at a fantastic place! The therapy clinic is about 100 miles from my home, so I take him there bright and early on Monday mornings and pick him up at noon on Fridays. He is making so much progress. He isn’t yet using the other front foot, but it sure looks like the nerves are slowly regenerating. He has a wheelchair and is learning to use it at therapy, but I firmly believe my fighter is working hard to kick that thing to the curb and not need it at all!
I know my story is way too long, but I wanted to introduce RikRak and myself to everyone. He is worth every bit of fight that it takes to get him better, because he is so very special!
Good Saturday morning, Everyone! I wanted to give a RikRak update and then discuss a decision I think I’m making and get your input. Last time I posted my RikRak was suffering a horrible rash on his tummy. It is completely healed and he is doing great! Since he got over that he has made leaps and bounds – pun intended – in his adapting to his wheelchair. He is so much better with it now!! I have been taking him to physical therapy since mid May. The place I take him to is about 100 miles from home, so I take him first thing Monday morning and pick him up at noon on Fridays. The therapists deserve all the credit for getting him acclimated to the wheelchair. I had hoped the use of his remaining front leg would return during this time, but it hasn’t. Sometimes it seems to be trying to fire up, but he can’t walk with it like I had hoped. Yesterday his doctor told me he fears his body may be failing him. I’m quite the slow thinker, so I didn’t know how to respond to that at the time. The vet told me that he does so good when they work with him, has a great attitude and works hard; but when he isn’t being worked with he is just laying there. Well, first off, if we’re not playing, all my other dogs just lay around as well. So that puzzled me. After sleeping on it and thinking about his words for almost 24 hours now, I am thinking about this coming week being his last week of physical therapy. Perhaps at this stage it’s more important that he is home with everyone who loves him and now knows how to work with him in the wheelchair and keep him motivated. I hope y’all can share your thoughts with me, because I’ve got until Monday morning to toss around every thought in my head!! Thanks to Everyone!
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